Reprimand
by SerenePhenix
Summary: Recollection Series. Detached Prequel to Forgiveness. His intention had not been to hurt anyone, but something else entirely... Image by GraphiteDoll on DA.


Reprimand

A Rise of the Guardians OneShot – Detached prequel to "Forgiveness"

Jack tapped his staff against the thick layer of ice he had created for this special occasion a bit too satisfied with himself and his newest work of art. He scoffed at the thought. Of course he could be proud of what he managed to do, it was not every day one got to see a slide of this length and width with twist and turns that would make anyone's stomach churn by merely looking at them. Even North would be impressed by the loops.

He smiled a predatory smile as he thought about its purpose, looking positively feral. Oh how he would enjoy this and more so his victory which was out of the question for him. There was no way, the Easter kangaroo could ever beat him at this game when he had the home advantage.

As though his thoughts had been a signal, did a hole next to him open up in the ground and out sprang a huge mass of blue fur. Jack couldn't help but snigger a little as his fellow Guardian, friend and rival set foot on the snow covered ground and began shaking his large hind legs in dismay as cold snow clung to his sensitive pads.

Jack looked up innocently, Bunny grumbling as he began to pluck out some of the more clingy icy remains. He gave Jack a glare not the least happy about the environment he had been forced to come to. But a challenge was a challenge and Bunnymund was, just like the mischievous winter spirit, not one to back up from these sorts of things.

The bunny let his stern gaze wander over the deserted white terrain, his ears twitching from one side to the next, making sure they truly were alone. When he was done he looked down at his junior, a smug expression returning on his muzzle. He had to give the kid some credit in finding a secluded area for their little match, although it hardly was to his liking that it had to be in the north (?) of Canada in November. Where it was cold and snowing.

"Just so you know, u' got no chance at beatin' me, mate.", Bunny said searching the closer areas for the sleighs they would need if they wanted their match to unfold.

"Don't be so sure about that.", Jack twirled his staff lazily, kicking up some powdery snow his presence had conjured up all those hours ago, while he had been making preparations and strapped the shepherd crook onto his back with a rope he had borrowed from North.

Bunny just made a noise in the back of his throat and heaved up one of the wooden sleighs that were leaning against a rock. Jack followed suit grabbing the smaller one out of the two and getting positioned at the edge of the icy slide, Bunnymund getting ready to his right.

The Easter spirit eyed him in a lucid and challenging way.

"So the rules are clear.", he stated, seating himself slowly and carefully on top of the sleigh, "No flying, no powers and no tricks." He drew out the last two words throwing the boy an accusing glare but Jack knew that it was also addressed towards the wind, which ruffled both their hair in amusement. Bunnymund had by now learned that if there was one friend that Jack could always count on, it was the wind that allowed him to fly.

Jack just mocked a salute, the likes he had seen soldiers do to their superior, while flying over military camps and grinned at the pooka who he admired and wanted to beat so badly at the same time. Bunny ignored that fact and Jack felt it was better he did not know. Things would only get awkward. Again.

He remembered how around two months ago he still had had problems to look his childhood hero in the eye for all the shame he had felt because he ruined the others' holiday. Twice even.

Pushing these feelings to the back of his mind in favor of his race and in order to even out their score of win and losses Jack held himself ready as Bunnymund counted down from three to zero.

As soon as the last number left the Pooka's mouth, did both spirits give their sleighs a mighty push and soon enough they both were rushing down the hill at neck-breaking speed. Jack gave an exhilarated cry nearly throwing up his arms. He loved the rush of the wind against his skin, how everything would swish past and how it would give him a sense of freedom few could relate to.

Bunnymund surely wasn't one of them his muzzle drawn into a frown unlike any Jack had seen to date. It looked as though the oversized Easter spirit expected to crash into a nearby tree. Jack just laughed at his rivals' anxiety and lay himself flat against the wood effectively taking the lead.

But Bunnymund would not give up that easily, not when Jack had told him that a scaredy cat like him, who couldn't approach North's sleigh without losing his cool, would never be able to beat him in a sleigh race where he could not count on his speed and tunnels. Before he knew it he had accepted and he nearly regretted it now. He'd always have taken a little of hurt pride over this bloody race!

It was just that Jack always had a way to incite him into doing the most stupid things he had ever done in his long life. He guessed that it was because the boy just knew what buttons to push because they simply were too different yet very much alike in a way that Bunny could sometimes not fully comprehend.

They were the exact opposites of each other, he the spring and Jack the winter. He brought hope and Jack brought the decline, although he tried his hardest to change that view. He had witnessed himself the happiness that Jack would bring with his snow and ice and he had to admit that he had taken a liking to snow fights even if only because they had been victorious over Pitch.

Jack was a prankster while he often considered himself as a resourceful and literate fighter. He had after all, given the earth it's near round shape and continents, stabilizing it that way. And that was certainly why Jack's taunts got to his more competing side. It infuriated him that someone as young as Jack; give or take his three hundred years of immortal life, would make fun of an elder like him.

But that was not exactly one of the thoughts that crossed Bunnys mind as he tried frantically to avoid any of the wooden death bringers in his path. Even though Jack had assured repeatedly that he would make sure their slide would be safe, he couldn't ignore that churning sensation in the pit of his stomach but he swore to himself that he would not be starting to communicate with his belly like North liked to do. Oh, no!

They were now nearing the end of the hill and indeed it looked like this time Jack would finally be able to gloat for months to come how he beat Bunny at something having to do with velocity which the Pooka was so proud of.

Jack whooped as he saw the end of the slide come into view, a plain clearing surrounded by naked trees and bushes. The kid standing on it came into view much too late for the both of them to realize.

Both Jack and Bunnymund screamed trying desperately to slow down while the child stood frozen on the spot, too shocked to move. Without intending to and because of the adrenaline rush Jack suddenly and violently unleashed his powers conjuring up a huge mass of white and fluffy snow but instead of helping them diminish the brunt of their impact it obscured their whole view.

Jack lost control of his sleigh and went tumbling off it. The rolling and spinning disoriented him until he finally came to a halt a few more feet away from the finish, coughing and spitting out snow. He blinked once, then twice getting the stuff out of his eyes when a loud high-pitched cry tore through the silence of the woods.

Jack whipped around and felt his blood run cold. Bunnymunds sleigh lay next to a large trunk, broken and next to it was the child, held protectively by the Pooka. Like a bolt of lightning Jack jumped and landed just before them, approaching with dread.

He could see Bunnys back-fur being bristled, his whole body shuddering as though he was freezing to death. The red-headed child was sniffing and wailing in between the large furry arms. As he wanted to touch them, Bunnymunds head flipped towards him, muzzle contorted in sheer agony.

"Dammit, Jack!", he shouted, shuddering again, more violently this time. His voice was so pinched Jack could literally feel the muscles in his companions' neck clenching and unclenching from the pain. Worried Jack hurriedly looked for what might be the source of the Pooka's discomfort when his eyes fell onto Bunny's right hind leg. A bruise would never have been visible through the thick blue fur but the simple fact that the ankle looked displaced was enough to tell him that the limp was most likely sprained or even worse broken.

All the while the boy continued to wail and now had also taken to trash around making it even worse for the Easter spirit.

"Hey, there.", Jack cooed quietly and hastily hoping that if he could at least calm down the child, he also might help Bunny get more comfortable in his predicament.

The freckled boy went still looking at Jack and for a moment the winter spirit felt overwhelmed that the kid actually did see him. He had just reacted out of habit, because he used to do the same thing with Pippa when they were younger and she would fall and cry because of a little scrape. He had hated seeing her cry.

Coming back from his short trip to memory lane, Jack rubbed away the tears the child had spilled and began talking: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Quickly he snatched a cookie he had stolen from North's workshop from his hoodie and held it into the boy's face. He knew the kid was still young enough for this to do the trick and to distract him from the ordeal Jack had caused.

"Here, I would like to share this with you. It's from Santa Claus. He gave it to me, so I could snack on it if I need to but I'd rather give it to you. What do you say?", he smiled encouragingly covering up very well the fact that the cookie had left it's place _without _North's knowledge.

Hesitantly did the child take the offered treat and slowly began gnawing at it while still in Bunnymund's clutches. Seeing that he was done, Jack turned towards his fellow Guardian, putting a hand on his back.

"Hey, you alright there?", he asked gulping down whatever shame wanted to make itself known inside him. It wouldn't help any with their situation, he needed to take action and not curl up into a ball of misery.

Bunnymund exhaled three times sharply through his nose before answering.

"I think I broke something.", he grunted, trying to get up with the child in his arms, who did not put up anymore resistance, half-eaten cookie still in his hands.

"I guess so.", Jack winced as the ankle did not seem to look any better.

Bunnymund threw him a sharp reproachful look.

"What were ya' thinkin'? I told ya' not to use your little stick! Or did ya' plan on cheatin' all along!", blue fur bristled menacingly and at the moment Jack was more than relieved that the Pooka was resting against the trunk instead of towering above him like he usually did when he was reprimanding him for his latest misfits. Jack went from white to purple in two seconds flat.

"I did not use my staff.", he pressed out between clenched teeth, hurt in his pride and mortified by what he had caused.

Bunnymund glared at him clearly not believing him: "Of course you must 'ave used it. It's the source of your power!"

Jack shook his head quickly getting dizzy from the motion and stopping it.

"No, it's not. It's just a conduct. Something that helps me channel my powers and allows me to ride the wind with more ease.", he fingered the wood on his back, the memory of Pitch breaking it apart still fresh in his mind. He knew it was a conduct but he still remembered how it had hurt when it was broken and how good it felt to mend it but it wasn't the source.

"The powers are just inside me.", he said, putting a hand to his chest as emphasis.

The Pooka just made a noise between a huff and a snarl and pointedly looked away. "Well, I can't use ma tunnels like this and we're in the middle of nowhere."

They both looked around the child watching them both interestedly the cookie long since devoured. It was when Jack's eyes found his sleigh at the other side of the clearing that a light bulb went off in his head.

* * *

"I tell ya' we're going in the wrong direction!", whined Bunny from the sleigh while Jack silently fumed, muscles aching and head pounding but he kept his mouth sealed shut for fear he'd say something he would later regret.

_Just remember, you got stuck in this situation because you messed up. So don't get angry at the oversized cottontail._

It was a mantra he had repeated to himself over the last few hours in which he had dragged Bunnymund and the little kid Anthony through the snow. While they sat on the sleigh he pulled with his staff as a makeshift cord, anchored on the metal rod connecting the two main wooden pieces of their transportation. It had been around noon when they had made their way towards what Anthony had told them was his home town Fort Nelson; now the sun was already beginning to set.

Jack did not stop in his track but readjusted his grip on the staff and threw an encouraging smile towards Anthony who seemed unusually happy and content for a child that had gotten lost on a trip with his class. Jack had underestimated him in age for his lack of size.

"I'll let the headman decide on that. So Anthony, we're still going in the right direction?", Jack asked finding great satisfaction in the Pooka's less than pleased expression.

The nine year old redhead hummed in confirmation as he took another glance at his compass and another on the map of Canada, courtesy of his father. Jack had to admit that he was fairly impressed with how much ease a boy as young as Anthony could handle something he himself found rather difficult. He always needed the wind to guide him in the right direction without it he was as good as lost.

Where had been this one time when the wind had been angry at him for not showing it any respect. He had been harshly dropped to the ground by a gust and had tried to get to Burgess on foot. Jack had to admit that in hindsight not knowing the difference between the continent America and Asia after travelling between both of them for more than one hundred years was pretty shameful but hey, he had gotten better at orientation… a litte.

"Well, my drop off was here.", Anthony mused his finger tracing a highway on the map, "Then I lost the others around here.", a circle drawn on a tiny spot in the middle of nowhere, "And we met around here." His finger tapped lightly at another blank spot on the road map.

He squinted his eyes at the road they went alongside, still hidden by undergrowth and trees and he consulted his map again, looked back at his compass and then back at the road.

"Yep, we are still going in the right direction!", he exclaimed excitedly, nearly bouncing up and down. The giddiness in the child's voice made Jack chuckle, Anthony was behaving as though he had gotten a big Christmas present.

Bunnymund snorted. It was not that he wasn't happy for the kid but the overall situation had him fed up: A sprained ankle, stuck in a cold environment and all because the annoying frostbite and his own stupid ego.

Anthony, who had warmed up to Jack from the beginning (wasn't he the reason why they were in this dilemma!), sensed the frustration in the Easter Bunny. Cautiously he turned around at an awkward angle and studied the Pooka's face with fascination and apprehension. Bunny's muzzle twitched rapidly, not used to this kind of attention even from kids.

Most of the time, he was in hiding even when he brought the eggs and hid them.

"What are ya' staring at?", he asked, sounding more like an offended brat rather than the hundreds years old being he was supposed to be. He regretted it once Anthony seemed to deflate and turned around again, huddling up dejectedly. It really wasn't the child's fault that he was in pain (he shot his most vicious glare at Jack's back) but the throbbing and burning was always there and hard to ignore.

They came to a sudden stop and Jack landed on his rear with a hard thump, heaving and a blush adorning his face.

"I'm sorry guys." A deep breath and a casual wave of a hand. "Just need a minute."

And that was it. It didn't matter that Jack had dragged them for the last three or four hours, it didn't matter that there was a kid with them, it didn't matter that the winter spirit did not intend to let any of this happen but Bunnymund was tired, aching and more furious than he had ever been. He stood up, favoring his left hind-leg and hopped next to Jack quickly. Before the winter spirit could even process what was going on, did he find himself a few inches off the ground, collar of his hoodie between two large paws and two threatening eyes boring into his surprised ones.

"Enough.", Bunny spat the word out, his voice quivering from pent up anger.

Anthony looked between the two frantically and fearfully knowing this kind of atmosphere from school when one of the kids wanted to pick a fight with another.

Jack just stared not having expected such an outburst from his companion, even with the situation at hand. Bunnymund shook Jack violently, trying his best to push away the searing pain going up his whole leg.

"I've had enough with ya' and your stupid ideas. We're only here because of your unnecessary need ta' show off! Because ya' always have to make a challenge out of everythin'!"

Jack scowled, ice blue eyes just as menacing as Bunnymund's posture, gripping hard at the others paw on his collar frost lacing the blue fur.

"You could have simply refused.", he retorted flatly, not turning away his face like he usually would do when he was given a sermon. He knew he screwed up bad this time but he tried to do something to redeem himself and bam, he had to get slapped into the face for it.

Bunny growled and roughly shoved the boy on the ground.

"The problems not that I accepted but that you're a friggin' time bomb! You can't control ya' powers and ya' endanger any and everyone around ya' just because it's funny for you!"

"I never asked for these powers!"

Jack's voice boomed as he shouted at Bunnymund, jumping up and pushing the Pooka with so much force that he went tumbling off a few more yards, yelping as his hind-leg moved too much. But he froze once he saw the snow whirling around Jack, engulfing him and giving him a terrifying aura. Bunnymund was proud to say that he was a valiant and unafraid fighter but in this moment Jack scared him to his very core.

Yet, instead of attacking Jack backed away, eyes wide and spooked. He looked at his hands and then to Bunny and then at Anthony but the snow did not stop its motion, instead gaining momentum and Bunny saw how Jack hugged his chest tightly as though trying to comfort himself.

His eyes were shut so tightly that a few little drops escaped between his lashes and Bunny was sure that there would be dark bruises left on the boy's arms from his fingers.

Slowly the snow calmed and drifted to the ground as Jack gave a shuddering breath, sinking to his knees.

Everything was still, even the air surrounding them. Carefully Bunny got upright and approached the teen like a wild animal that was ready to show its fangs and lash out. Anthony watched this unearthly scene unfold with baited breath.

When Bunny was sure nothing would happen he put a hand on the still teen and shook him lightly. His own anger had evaporated replaced by concern upon seeing Jack's horrified expression moments prior.

"Ya', alright mate?"

Jack lifted his head, exhaustion etched into his features, startling the Pooka a little but not commenting on it.

" 'm fine.", he mumbled, rolling his shoulder and shoving off the warm paw.

Bunnymund stayed put and lifted Jack's head by the chin making eye contact.

"Has that happened often?", he asked trying to let Jack understand that he was caring for him. Such an eruption of power from a seasonal spirit could become quite dangerous and Bunny dreaded that Jack had had to deal with this for as long as he already existed. Clamping down your power as a seasonal spirit often entailed great control or otherwise pain.

Jack studied his face for a second, searching for the caring he could hear and truly hoped _was_ there before shaking his head.

"Only recently. Ever since Pitch broke my staff and I had to put it back together with my power."

Bunny stiffened.

"Wait, Pitch broke your staff? Whe-when did that happen?" He was getting frantic. Hadn't they beaten the guy only a few months ago, how could he be back and more importantly why hadn't Jack…

"Easter Sunday.", Jack mumbled even quieter than before, eyes downcast.

The Pooka looked at him dumbstruck, his muzzle forming a perfect O.

It was a rather amusing sight but Jack simply didn't feel like smiling at it.

"It's become more and more difficult to control them. Whenever I get excited I freeze something by accident, whenever I get angry I am about to cause a blizzard.", he paused, getting up, "And I don't know what I should do about it. I always believed that my powers also came from my staff but it's only a conduct but since Pitch broke it, I dunno' it feels like something inside me broke."

He did not sound as upset as he should probably be but Bunnymund guessed that Jack was just trying to cover up his own insecurity by staying calm. Or maybe he did give the Guardian of fun too little credit.

Jack ran a hand through his hair looking at the darkening sky and then at their silent one-man audience.

"Sorry, I scared you.", Jack apologized getting a nod from Anthony who was just glad that the worst was over. "And sorry, I dragged both of you into such a mess. It wasn't my intention."

His blue eyes were giving Bunny a pleading look and there was something else the Pooka hadn't seen in a long time: The faint wish for reassurance and recognition. And suddenly Bunny had a faint intuition. Could this be what all of this, the teasing, all the challenges, the boy's sudden urges to help him whenever he could, were about: Jack wanting his acknowledgement?

He shook his head, ears flapping against his skull as he made his way to the sleigh to sit down and save his hind-leg.

"A mess, most definitely but ya' were right in one thing, mate." Jack blinked as Bunny finally sat down, ready to go on. "I always could have refused."

There was no triumph in those blue eyes as Jack nodded and went to retrieve his staff from the ground. He wanted to lighten the mood just a little, so he went and turned towards the one he shared his seat with.

"But without all this we never would have met ankle-biter number two, I guess."

Anthony both smiled and looked confused as to what the Pooka had said.

"Why just ankle-biter two?"

Both Bunny and Jack shared a glance smiling for the first time at each other since their unfortunate run in with the tree and so they went on towards the town telling their young guest about the little girl they had come to fondly nickname ankle-biter.

* * *

They watched both as Anthony ran over the snow covered lawn towards an open door to a white house where a woman in a blouse and skirt was waiting for him to fall into her arms.

Both Guardians smiled brightly as the mother hugged her boy, next to her stood a man who also went to embrace the both of them relief evident in his whole demeanor. Before being dragged into the warm house they saw Anthony waving at them vigorously. And then he was gone, just like that.

Bunnymund sighed in relief, happy that they had managed to bring the kid back home in one piece. The Pooka punched the boy beside him lightly in the shoulder, smirking at him approvingly. He was rewarded with the crack of a smile from his companion.

Jack was by now through fully exhausted, now sitting next to Bunny on the sleigh.

"You are really not angry anymore?"

Bunny's ears were erect in surprise until he waved it off. "Nah, a little maybe but not that much anyway."

Jack cocked an eyebrow, inspecting the hind-leg, which by now had healed enough for the Pooka to rest his weight on.

"But your leg…"

"It's gonna heal up fast."

Silence hung between them as they watched the moon, which was nothing more than a narrow crescent over the horizon.

"But you should have told us about ya' powers, you know? It can get quite dangerous."

Jack shifted uncomfortably muttering something under his breath that even Bunny with his super-sensitive hearing did not catch.

"What was that?", he asked playfully not thinking any of it.

"I did not want to worry you. You all have your duties already and I have handled myself pretty well up until now.", he tried to make it sound lightly but Bunny still caught that little hint of sadness in his voice.

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and ruffled the winter spirits white hair (maybe with a bit more force than necessary).

"We may have left you alone before but I promise ya' that from now on, you will never have ta' make it through something like that on your own again." Jack's blue eyes were huge and Bunny was able to see that child that had survived inside of Jack for all these centuries. That child that was looking up to every single one of them and that wanted to be shown it was appreciated amongst them.

"We're gonna' help you with your powers and that way you won't have to go through that pain again when clamp down on them. You're family now, so have a little trust in us too."

There was so much gratitude in those eyes that it made Bunnymund feel somewhat embarrassed. Covering it up with a cough he went to stand up, waving Jack to come close.

"Ready to go back?", he asked, ready to use his tunnels now that he trusted his paw to withstand the strain.

Jack smiled. "Whenever you are."

He was about to tap on the ground three times when suddenly Jack seemed to remember something.

"Wait, why do you think Anthony could see me?"

Bunnymund paused, seeming to think before shrugging simply. "Maybe you always had a believer you never knew of? Who knows."

Unable to come up with a better explanation Jack just nodded and followed Bunny down his tunnel towards the North Pole unaware of Anthony getting excited over having received a letter from his school pen-friend Jamie Bennet; eager to write about his encounter with Jack Frost and the Easter Bunny, the boy had written about in so many of his letters. He'd also have to tell him that the description both of them had given of ankle-biter one strangely fit Jamie's sister.


End file.
